I Want to Be a VTuber-Chapter 262: Relative Window!! (1)
"Damn it!"
Arthur stormed into his hotel room, roughly unpacking his luggage before running a hand through his hair in frustration.
The meeting earlier hadn’t been bad overall.
The negotiations between his agency and GH Group had gone smoothly, and he’d secured a role in the drama under very favorable terms.
His role was the "male lead."
Of course, it wasn’t just any ordinary male lead.
GH Group clearly intended to fully utilize Arthur’s star power, assigning him additional responsibilities within the production.
"Hey, Arthur. Eastern action movies—are they like those old Hong Kong action films?"
"...How would I know?"
"Hmm, you’ve been in a foul mood ever since we got to the hotel. Something happen?"
Arthur clenched his jaw.
The man speaking to him was Oliver Goodman, his close friend and a fellow actor. Oliver also served as Arthur’s stunt double for more dangerous or complex action sequences.
Though Arthur was capable of performing action scenes himself, Oliver often stepped in for the more extreme stunts.
The two had known each other since childhood, and Oliver’s exceptional stunt work was well-regarded in Hollywood.
"It’s because of that woman."
"Ju Seoyeon? Ah, yes. She didn’t seem the least bit interested in you. But she’s a strikingly beautiful girl."
"Sure, her looks are decent. But that’s where it ends. Everything else about her is a disaster."
"Sounds like you took quite a hit."
Oliver laughed heartily, his toned, muscular frame flexing as he removed his shirt.
"Actors speak through their performances anyway. By the way, Arthur, you probably didn’t hear, but it seems like that actress is doing her own action scenes in Majin."
"What? No stunt doubles?"
"That’s what the director said. Apparently, they specifically auditioned actresses capable of performing action scenes."
"Ridiculous."
Arthur scoffed, recalling Seoyeon’s slender frame and average height.
She didn’t exactly scream "action star."
"Are they planning to cover everything with CGI? How’s the CGI in Korea, anyway?"
"Not bad. I’ve seen a fair share of Korean films, and their CGI isn’t overly awkward. Of course, it’s nowhere near Hollywood’s level."
"Hmph, maybe they think they can skimp on quality since it’s just an OTT drama."
Arthur didn’t mind. He’d been paid handsomely and would put in the effort expected of him.
But the quality of the production? He wasn’t so sure.
Even if that eccentric girl could act as Stella claimed, handling action scenes was another matter.
"What was the reaction from other agencies?"
"Similar to yours. Most of them either laughed or said this to the director—"
"What did they say?"
"If there’s no stunt double, we can provide one."
"Ha! What an outright insult."
It was a thinly veiled jab.
Ordinarily, Arthur’s agency wouldn’t resort to such behavior, but their attitude towards this OTT drama was one of indifference.
They wouldn’t cancel the contract, not with the hefty paycheck involved.
But aside from the money, Arthur’s participation in a Korean OTT drama didn’t matter to them.
Even if GH Group was a major player in Korea’s cultural industry, it had no real significance to Arthur.
"Still..."
Oliver’s voice softened as he reflected on the skepticism surrounding the drama.
"Nobody seems to believe this show will succeed."
"Why would they? Have Korean dramas ever been a hit in the West?"
"Romance dramas have done fairly well."
"Only with a niche audience. Same with their movies."
This was the general perception in the industry.
Oliver agreed, to some extent.
But...
Thinking back to Ju Seoyeon, Oliver had a different perspective.
While others mocked the idea of her performing action scenes, he had noticed something.
Her balance was perfect.
She carried herself with remarkable physical coordination.
While he couldn’t gauge her strength, it was clear she had some athletic experience.
Having once been a competitive gymnast before becoming a stuntman, Oliver could recognize the signs of someone who’d trained their body.
"I’d prefer if our agency started treading more carefully from now on."
"...You seem surprisingly optimistic about this drama, Oliver."
"You never know. This small country might produce a drama that shakes the world."
"That’s impossible."
"And if it does, this drama could benefit from it."
It all came down to visibility.
Korean dramas and films hadn’t made much of an impact overseas because there simply hadn’t been enough exposure.
But in recent years, Korean culture had been gradually gaining traction.
The groundwork was there.
All it needed was a spark to ignite.
"...If you say so, I’ll respect that."
Arthur respected Oliver’s opinion.
Oliver was thoughtful and had a broad perspective.
Had it not been for the scars on his face from a childhood accident, Oliver might have been an even greater actor than Arthur himself.
"Just don’t get crushed on set," Arthur teased.
"Didn’t Stella praise your acting?"
"Who knows? She lives to needle at my insecurities."
Arthur thought back to today’s humiliation.
That woman’s complete indifference to him was a first in his life.
"We’ll see if she can maintain that attitude on my home turf."
A crooked smile spread across Arthur’s face, his emerald eyes gleaming under the lights.
Oliver shrugged, noting Arthur’s renewed determination.
He knew Arthur wasn’t one to back down.
A fire that could one day consume even starlight burned within him.
Let’s hope this won’t be boring, Oliver mused, lying down on his bed.
Though he held no high expectations for the drama, a part of him considered the remote possibility of a miracle.
****
After the Majin meeting, Seoyeon found herself with some downtime.
The filming schedule had to accommodate Arthur’s availability, as well as her own.
In essence, she was juggling two overlapping projects.
On top of that, she was preparing for a meeting about a drama adaptation of a web novel.
So many meetings these days.
Her schedule included Majin, Seoul Escape, and the web novel-based drama The Flower of the Imperial Palace.
Filming wouldn’t overlap, but the meetings had piled up, leaving her overwhelmed.
A drama adaptation of a web novel...
Seoyeon had consumed various creative works, including web novels.
While she hadn’t read many—finding it hard to grasp emotions from written words—she studied them to better understand human behavior.
But there were limits to written expressions.
This upcoming drama, based on a web novel her mother had enjoyed, was no exception.
A modern historical romance drama.
The premise sounded odd to her.
In genre terms, it was labeled as modern fantasy romance.
Set in a Korea where the royal family never disappeared.
Historically implausible, but aside from the presence of a royal family, it mirrored modern society.
It even had a parliamentary system with a prime minister instead of a president, like the UK or Japan.
Well, it’s a romance, so it probably won’t delve into such details.
Seoyeon spent the entire night reading the web novel.
Normally, when she read web novels, she gravitated toward hunter-themed stories—those with clear victories, destruction, or protagonists growing stronger.
But reading a romance for a change turned out to be quite enjoyable.
Although she had acted in numerous romance films like Dream Future and Kyungsung Lady, novels provided an emotional depth that films couldn’t fully capture.
The protagonist is the sole princess of the current royal family.
Her position in the line of succession was third—not bad at all.
She had two older brothers, leaving the female lead, Princess Hwaryeon, as the only princess.
The story began with discussions surrounding the princess’s engagement.
The royal family arranges a marriage with the son of a chaebol family, hoping to strengthen the symbolic power of the monarchy. But Hwaryeon recklessly gets engaged to a commoner she met at university.
The young man, unaware that she was a princess, had shown her kindness, and Hwaryeon had impulsively slipped an engagement ring onto his finger.
...Of course, by the end of the story, it’s revealed that the young man’s estranged grandfather is actually the head of a chaebol family, and the male lead ends up inheriting his wealth.
Even though the story could have worked without the chaebol twist, Seoyeon understood it was a staple for the predominantly female readership.
To top it off, while the young man didn’t remember, he and Hwaryeon had met in childhood as friends.
Hwaryeon, however, had never forgotten him, which explained why she was so willing to give him the engagement ring.
So, I’ll be working with Jungwoo-sunbae back-to-back again.
In contrast, Majin featured Jo Sehee, which meant Seoyeon was filming consecutive projects with her.
Although Jo Sehee initially declined to appear in Majin due to her busy schedule—
“I’ll take the role.”
“Didn’t you say you were too busy?”
“Well, I... have to do it.”
It seemed that Stella’s recent meteoric rise had made her feel her position was threatened.
Thanks to this, Seoyeon felt like she was constantly appearing in projects with the same circle of people.
“Princess, huh...”
Jungwoo muttered with a somewhat conflicted tone.
The meeting venue was a café inside the broadcasting station.
The attendees included the web novel’s author, the screenwriter, the director, and two lead actors—Seoyeon and Jungwoo. The others had yet to arrive.
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
“Isn’t it nice to do something familiar?”
“...Not really.”
Seoyeon tilted her head at Jungwoo’s cryptic response, while Jungwoo sighed deeply.
She had no idea what he had been through after the Viol ad aired.
As soon as he returned from Japan, Jo Sehee and Lee Jiyeon stormed into his agency.
“Explain yourself.”
“Your reaction was suspicious. If you confess now, we’ll let it slide.”
Jungwoo felt wronged.
Surely, they would have reacted the same way if faced with Princess Yeonhwa themselves, yet they only interrogated him.
“No, our reactions would be different.”
“Jiyeon, well said. Right, we’re different.”
“What makes you different?”
“We’re her friends.”
“And what about Stella?”
“Don’t compare us to someone so frivolous.”
“Exactly, Sehee. When Stella said those things to Seoyeon, that’s when I realized I’m a Confucian girl through and through.”
Since when had Stella become “frivolous”?
Jungwoo sighed at their harsh judgment of a globally renowned actress he had never even met.
He had endured relentless questioning from his younger female colleagues.
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Then, when he got home—
“Ahem, Jungwoo. That ad looked fantastic.”
“My, my, Jungwoo. This isn’t what I think it is, is it? If it is, you have to tell me.”
“...”
Even his family reacted predictably.
It was disheartening.
He had always prided himself on his self-discipline, but apparently, no one trusted him.
“I think princess roles suit me.”
“They don’t.”
“Why are you the one to decide that?”
“What kind of actress says princess roles suit her?”
It was baffling how casually Seoyeon could say something that sounded so vain.
She seemed utterly devoid of shame.
“Does it not suit me?”
“...”
Jungwoo tightly shut his eyes at Seoyeon’s question, her head tilted in genuine curiosity.
As an actor, he couldn’t lie.
“...You’re good at it.”
“See? I knew it.”
Seoyeon’s triumphant grin made Jungwoo hold his forehead in exasperation.
I must be crazy to have agreed to co-star with her in this drama.
But his agency had encouraged him to accept the role after the Viol ad received such positive feedback.
It was a nostalgic callback to Tales of the Hidden Moon, and fans were [N O V E L I G H T] eager to see them in another historical drama together.
Though this wasn’t purely a historical drama.
...This is giving me a headache.
Jungwoo sighed once more. About ten minutes later—
“Ah, hello.”
A woman entered, her shoulders hunched.
Seoyeon immediately recognized her as the author of the web novel being adapted into the drama.
She looked identical to the woman in the old high school photos of Youngbin and Sua—smiling faintly beside Youngbin.
